Guidance
by The Gentleman Xerneas
Summary: Zane is a boy with a bleak life, something that could barely be called a life at all. But on one day he decides to break away from his strict lifestyle to investigate Lostlorn Forest. Now the young man finds himself swept up with the secret life of Zoroark society as he and his newfound Zoroark friend come to terms with the changes his actions has caused for the two of them.
1. Discovery

**A/N: Before you start, I should give you a heads up. This story contains a male human x male Zoroark pairing so if that isn't within your tastes I advise you do not read it. I can't force you to read it, nor can I force you to not read it, but I wouldn't want you to waste your time reading about something you don't like. **

**If some things don't make sense, it would be a good idea to read Zoroark's chapter in my Unova guide before or after this story, so you can answer any questions you might have. **

**If you're still happy to continue, please enjoy!**

* * *

Walking. That's what Zane had been doing for at least four hours now. Nevertheless he still adamantly trudged through the forest; trying to ignore the sense of exhaustion that cried from his weary legs. If his legs were sentient beings Zane was certain they would be assaulting his ears with a slew of profanities and pleas to rest.

But he couldn't rest yet, not until he'd left this forest. This forest was where people vanished often, sometimes never to be seen again. It should have been a comforting fact that corpses were never discovered near this forest, but the pertinent lack of evidence only unnerved Zane even more. At the sprightly age of 19 and with a promising career as a Pokémon professor on the horizon, he had no desire in being taken from the world of life just yet.

Zane paused for just a moment to fumble with his backpack, which slid off his tired shoulders and landed with a thump onto the layer of leaves coating the ground. Zane angrily swiped away the cloud of dust that kicked up in response as he reached into the confines of his backpack. He shunted his empty water bottle and last smidgen of chocolate aside, once again trying to ignore the fact that his vital resources had run low. From the very base of the bag Zane pulled out a small device, something that even a young child would recognize. With a flick of his wrist he snapped its lid open, biting his lip anxiously as the power light lazily flicked to life.

'_Pokenav operational. Where do you wish to go?'_

"Waypoint One, home." Even though there was not a single soul present, Zane still did his best to prevent his soft voice from wavering in anticipation.

'_ERROR. Unable to find 'Waypoint One'. Unable to find current location. Current coodinates defy laws of physics. Battery at 4%. Shutting down…' _

With a single bleep the Pokenav died, his final hope of escaping relatively quickly now gone. With an admittedly girly roar he rose his arm and threw the pokenav back into his backback, not caring if the blasted thing shattered into a million pieces. For his entire duration in this forest it had repeated the same words over and over again in that apathetic, monotonous voice. Each time signifying just how bad the situation was becoming.

With a sigh he threw his backpack onto his shoulder and continued on with his aimless wander. It occurred to Zane that perhaps this was his punishment for straying from his daily routine in the most obscene fashion possible. Every day for years now Zane had kept to his strict day-to-day schedule; Getting up, attending class, eating meals, going to sleep, it all occurred at the same time each day. After all, a diligent professor like he wished to become must be punctual and professional!

He had to walk past Lostlorn Forest every day to make it to college and thus he had become quite acquainted with its ominous fringe; but he had never bothered to go any closer than he needed to. It wasn't that he was _scared_ of the forest, heavens no. Stopping to dilly-dally among a clump of trees like that would interfere with his schedule, something he could not allow. But today had been the last day of the semester and for once he realised he would have much more spare than on his hands than usual. For just this one day he had decided to probe just a little deeper into the forest as he walked back home, his natural curiosity overriding his sense of order just this once. When he became a professor he wanted to specialize in habitual observation so wandering around forests would become a commonplace thing in his future. For now he was considering this little deviation a 'warm-up' for what was to come.

But this one little deviation might have just cost him his life. For this whole time the scenery had not changed in the slightest, it was as though he was walking in an infinite loop; doomed to collapse in exhaustion due to his own futile attempts. He was out of water and his only remaining food was that bar of chocolate his teacher had given him. Even though his stomach was rumbling in hunger he didn't want to eat it in case he needed to spend the night here, a possibility that was steadily increasing.

Suddenly Zane cried out in alarm as something snagged on his foot, causing him to stumble forward and collapse in a heap on the ground. Instinctually he rolled over and awkwardly scrambled to his feet, ready to fend off whatever Pokémon that was after his blood. But to his surprise there were no bloodthirsty Pokémon present. In fact he wasn't under attack at all; he had merely stumbled over a car tyre sitting next to a large orange rock, coated in vines and moss.

After the ringing alarms of panic had worn off in his head Zane stooped closer to examine the cause of his fall. His soft brown eyes widened in realisation as it occurred to him, this was no orange rock, it was a rusty old car!

You couldn't blame him for mistaking it for a rock. Thick springy moss had heavily coated the base of the vehicle giving the illusion that it was one with the ground, and wide ropy vines crisscrossed haphazardly along the roof and sides, concealing any evidence of the item's true nature. In fact the forest had been so successful at its attempts to destroy this foreign object that you might not have even noticed it among the dark greenery at all.

Timidly Zane reached out and swept some vines to the side and leant in through the driver window, ready to leap out should some upset Pokémon still live within. The sun had just begun its gradual descent past the horizon, causing the fading sunset to filter golden light through the tears in the metal frame. Dust motes stirred by the human's invasion spiralled mid-air as though they were rejoicing this sudden gift of flight. As he carefully scanned the interior of the vehicle Zane nodded as his suspicions had been confirmed. The entire thing had been gutted, leaving only a sole chair and the rusting skeleton behind. It was evident that someone had purposely taken it all apart while the car had still been here, but considering the natural growth eating at the car that must've been a long time ago.

A less observant person would have left the marvel at that and continued on their way, but a single small detail caught Zane's attention. At the very centre of the single seat sat a suspicious pile of Oran berries, sitting there as though someone had placed them there on purpose. Was this some Pokémon's house? If so he should get out of here before-

A sudden swishing behind Zane made him whirl around in panic, but it was too late. Two unimaginably powerful and furry paws snatched his wrists and slammed them against the ancient vehicle, pinning him to the spot. Futilely he kicked madly against his captor in a desperate struggle to escape from this untimely demise, but it was no use. With blinding speed his attacker struck his chest, making him double over as he gasped for air.

Realising his fate had been sealed, Zane looked up with one pleading look to see who would be the one to end his life. Staring back at him were two light blue eyes, narrowed in hostility.

"You shouldn't be here, human." The Zoroark growled in a low tone.

"I'm sorry! I got lost! And now I can't find my way out of here!" The panicking human wailed as he sunk his head in submission. A Zoroark. Form what he'd heard they were highly territorial and a possible reason as to why people went missing. He was certain he wouldn't be leaving here alive.

Wordlessly the Zoroark pulled him away from the rusted remains and held him suspended in the air, flashing his sharp eyes up and down the trembling human's body just once before fixing him with another serious gaze.

"Do you have any Pokémon on you?" Even though it spoke in a serious tone, Zane could readily sense that there was no amount of hostility within it. It was almost as though the Zoroark was treating this as some sort of normal routine.

"Po-Pokémon? No! I've never had a single one! I never hurt a Pokémon either!"

The Illusion Fox dropped the startled human to the ground and slipped the backpack of his back. With one swish he emptied its contents out onto the ground and began to examine its variable contents. At that moment Zane was now presented with the opportunity to flee. If he wanted to he could leave his items with the Pokémon and flee as far as he could, screaming for help all the way. Granted the Zoroark would probably pounce on him in a heartbeat and end his life right then, so that might not have been the wisest decision. But something at the back of Zane's mind gave him the impression that this Pokémon meant him no harm.

He had been telling the truth when he said he had never owned a Pokémon. At the age of ten his parents refused to let him leave the house with a 'lethal variable' and from then on an opportunity to have his own Pokémon never presented itself. Perhaps that's why he was trying so hard to become a professor, so he could always be surrounded by the many fascinating species in the world? But even though he'd never had his own, his friends sure did. And Zane had become quite accustomed to observing them battle against wild Pokémon.

It was always the same scenario. They would be walking harmlessly through nature, upon when a wild Pokémon would leap out in the way and obstruct their path, its body tensed for battle and a feisty glint it its eyes. Understandably there is a plethora of reasons as to why a wild Pokémon would attack a human, but regardless of the cause it always came with the same result.

It was true that the Zoroark had leapt upon him, and at first it was tensed for battle with a serious glint in its eye, but the similarities between Zoroark and a typical Pokémon ended there. Any other Pokémon would have attacked him while they had the chance, but this Zoroark had only asked him a question before stopping to examine his items… was he being robbed?

Quietly Zane got up onto his feet and stared warily at the busy Zoroark. It sniffed at the empty water bottle before dropping it again, then picking up a biology textbook and flicking through the pages. In the other paw it picked up the dead Pokenav and opened it immediately, frowning with frustration when the power button failed to work. It may have been a hallucination, but Zane suspected that Zoroark might have understood that it was no longer working.

"U-Um, excuse me?" The human called out timidly, regretting the unwanted attention he was drawing to himself. In response the Zoroark paused its search and looked up at him, the tense frame of its body prepared for battle if need be.

"Yes?"

"A-Are you stealing from me? What are you doing?" The human continued, shifting on his feet in uncertainty. The Zoroark scowled at him in anger before returning to his search, this time at a quicker pace.

"Of course not! A Zoroark would never steal! I'm checking you items to see if you have any weapons or hazardous substances." After completing its 'search' and hopefully being satisfied with the result it began filling the bag with its contents, now dirtied by the forest floor.

"Um… You can talk…" Zane muttered again, realising with shock that he'd been conversing with a talking Pokémon just now. If he survived this debacle something like this would make him famous among professors! This would get him the scholarship for sure!

The Zoroark looked up at him and to the boy's surprise he flashed a toothy grin.

"Of course I can! Every Pokémon can speak. If you are meaning that I can speak in human tongue, you shouldn't be surprised. There are plenty of Zoroark that can speak in human." With that he tossed the bag back to the human, who fumbled clumsily with his trembling hands to pick the bag back up. With his items returned the human glanced up at the waiting Zoroark, frightened yet curious about what was going to happen now.

"Like I said, you shouldn't be here. Humans are not welcome here." The Zoroark glanced up at the sky causing Zane to follow his gaze. The sun had now slipped past the horizon, and it was becoming notably darker each second.

"If it were still daytime I would return you to the fringe of the forest, but now it is too late to leave. Our curfew is now up and not a single soul may enter or leave the forest until dawn." The Zoroark looked back at the human, not a single trace of hostility remaining in its powerful gaze.

"Come. You may rest for the night at our village, and we will return you in the morning. You shall not be harmed at any stage, I can assure you." With that the Zoroark turned away from him and indicated for him to follow. "Of course we are not forcing you to comply; you may stay here on your own if you wish. But there are dangerous creatures within this area, and I am certain you will not survive. Follow me if you value your life."

The Zoroark began walking in the opposite direction and in the dusky light it was already difficult to see him disappearing among the trees. Zane paused in uncertainly for just a moment before sprinting after the Pokémon. Zoroark payed him no attention as the human caught up, gasping for breath hastily. Zane sneaked a glance at the Pokémon strolling beside him, examining its body properly for the first time.

He had only seen Zoroark in pictures, but this specimen looked exactly the way they had been depicted in all the dusty books he had read over the years. It had a long, slender body coated in thick, soft grayish-brown fur. While it was quite sleek and stuck close to the body of Pokémon itself, it looked like the kind of fur you could cuddle with forever. It had evidently powerful legs that took each step swiftly yet gracefully, almost serenely if you thought hard enough. It's thin yet muscly arms swayed gently at its side as it briskly went along, the sharp claws at their ends twitching occasionally. In the dim light Zane wasn't certain what they were made of, but it was certainly sharp. But not a sort of wicked sharp, it was an almost soft and gentle sort of sharp. They were kind of claws you could hold without fearing injury, but in battle would prove to be certainly lethal. Was this the result of gradual evolution?

Zane couldn't help but let his eyes be drawn to Zoroark's massive mane, which bounced lively with each step. The way it characteristically swished side to side gave the impression that it was a sentiment thing, dancingly joyfully as it kept up with its owner. If Zane were any younger he'd be tempted to tug on it, or run his fingers through it at the very least.

Zoroark unexpectedly glanced at the human and frowned in confusion, before looking back ahead again.

"You've been examining my body very thoroughly for quite some time now. What's the matter? Are you trying to evaluate how dangerous I am? I've already informed you that I have no interest in hurting you."

Zane broke his gaze away from the curious Pokémon and stared at his feet as he trudged awkwardly along. Truthfully he was grateful that it had become so dark, otherwise Zoroark would have seen how furiously red his face had become.

"Oh, no! Not at all! I'm just curious is all…" He muttered shyly. Even in the darkness he could see the Zoroark's white teeth glint in the darkness as it chuckled to itself.

"Ah, that is understandable. From a human's perspective we are a very rare species, aren't we? Sorry for misunderstanding." Zane was taken aback for a moment when a realisation dawned upon him; Zoroark's voice had changed almost completely! Back at the rusted car its voice had been gruff and tense, like thick wire being pulled taunt. But now its voice was soft, smooth and gentle, in fact it was almost feminine!

"Um… Zoroark? Are you male or female?"

Again Zoroark looked at him, but this time with genuine surprise. Zane was getting the impression that Zoroark had been either astounded or severely offended by this relatively harmless question.

"W-What are you playing at, human? Of course I'm male! Female Zoroark are rarer than gold!" The fox shook its head before carrying onwards.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to offend you! It's hard to tell a Pokémon's gender straight away, and I was just curious!" The human cried out. Instinctually he gripped his bag in fear of this powerful Pokémon's wrath.

"Curiosity killed the Purrloin they say. But I'm not offended in the slightest; I was just taken aback by such an unexpected question." The Zoroark flashed the human another slight smile before disappearing up ahead. Zane hadn't noticed it until now, but the trees were gradually becoming closer and closer together. Back during the daytime there would have been at least a metre between each of the tall proud trees, but now there was scarcely four feet between each trunk and he was finding himself having to squeeze between each trunk. The witless human gasped as his bag became snagged on a dead branch, throwing down to the ground. For a moment he lay down on the ground, inhaling the sweet scent of decaying leaves. Up ahead he could hear the crunching footsteps of the Zoroark grow distant as he disappeared up ahead.

Fear set itself deep into Zane as he pulled himself back up to his feet and realised he couldn't see an inch in front of him. Timidly he reached out and felt the rough bark of a tree in front of him, searching for a way to move around it. But past that tree was another one, and another one… As he nervously shuffled forward the trunks seemed to merge together, becoming a solid wall of living wood. Was this an illusion? Had he gone blind? Did that Zoroark lead him to a trap with the intention of killing him?

The panicking boy blindly gripped a tree in fear and held on for dear life. So long as he stayed here and didn't move, things would turn out as favourably as they could. For the first time since he found that old vehicle he contemplated just what was happening to him. Here he was, the most promising student in his class, cowering in the dark confines of Lostlorn Forest. If he had just ignored that single deviant thought and gone home like any other day, he could be at home right now studying for college, while being reminded by his parents how worthless he is…

His parents…

They weren't even his _real _parents. They were simply the people who took him in after his real parents decided that science was more important than their own so-

A paw suddenly resting on Zane's shoulder made him scream out loud in surprise. In response the paw softened its grip on his shoulder and became almost kindly in nature.

"You fell behind. Are you having trouble keeping up?" The tone of Zoroark's voice was soft and, if Zane listened carefully, might have contained a trace of concern.

"Y-yes, It's too dark for me to see anymore…"

"Ah, my mistake. I forgot humans do not have the strong eyesight that we Zoroark do, please forgive me for my error." With those words Zane suddenly felt something furry enter his hand. "Here, please hold my paw. That way we cannot get separated." Zoroark continued. Zane shivered slightly as Zoroark took his paw in his hand and interlocked their fingers; forming a tight grip that could not be broken. It was so furry and warm that it surprised Zane that something could feel so… nice. Is this why he always saw young children cuddling their Lillipup and Purrloin in public?

With Zoroark firmly holding his hand Zane had no trouble following and keeping up with his rescuer. The lack of space between the trees forced them to keep their bodies close, almost rubbing against each other. On multiple occasions Zane was pulled close enough to get a whiff of Zoroark's natural scent. To his surprise it wasn't a nasty smell like he had anticipated; in fact it was quite lovely. Zoroark smelt fresh and clean, but not 'fresh and clean' like the artificial perfumes and deodorants humans coat themselves in; but _actually _fresh and clean, it could be compared to how a woodland forest would smell on a spring morning after rainfall. In comparison humans would smell like filthy, sweaty beasts of burden. An unexpected pang of embarrassment shot through Zane; could he possibly smell that appalling to Zoroark?

"Um… The forest has been thick for quite some time now… Where are we going?" Zane asked his guide quietly. Zoroark keep his gaze focused ahead as he answered the boy's question.

"We are heading into the deep centre of the forest, where our villages are found. That sparse area with the vehicle that I encountered you at was only the fringe of the forest itself."

"E-eh? You mean I spent all those hours of walking right by the fringe?"

"Indeed. I had been watching you for a while before I intervened. If you had turned to the right and walked for about ten minutes you would have found yourself back on the path that lead to the human lands." Zoroark spoke matter-of-factly, as if being dragged by Zoroark into the deepest, darkest area of a forest with no supplies and no chance of getting help was a normal thing for humans to do.

"But I walked to the right! I walked in _every _direction! None of that helped!" Zane wailed, being entirely aware of how whiny he must appear to the Pokémon present.

"I am aware, and I must apologize for something in relation to that. Do you know what powers we Zoroark and our offspring possess?" Zoroark enquired.

"Of course, Pokémon abilities class 101. Zoroark and Zorua have the ability to weave illusions to deceive anyone they wish…" Zane trailed off, realising the reason he was in this situation. Taking Zane's silence as an indication he wasn't going to finish his response, Zoroark filled in the details for him.

"That is correct. You see, nearly all Zoroark stay well away from the edge of the forest and remain hidden deep within our villages, where humans will never wander far enough to find us. It wouldn't matter if they did, because our villages are hidden by layers of illusions anyway. The only Zoroark that go near the perimeter of the forest are scouts and guards, such as myself." Zoroark paused to sneeze and then apologize hurriedly, before continuing his story.

"But the Zorua, who are young and energetic, love to play near the fringe of the forest. They have a deep fascination with humans and thus they try their absolute best to lure humans into the forest, so they may use their illusion abilities to trap them there for as long as they like. And there you have it, the Zorua have secured a new playmate for the day."

"Ah, so that's why I couldn't find my way out…" Zane muttered shamefully, suddenly feeling much more inferior to the Pokémon beside him.

"It couldn't be helped. Although even I was surprised that you didn't hear or see those young Zorua at least once, especially when they put that pile of Oran berries in the human car right in front of your nose." Zoroark chuckled ever so slightly at the last remark, making Zane's face blaze beet red once again. To save face he desperately began to steer the conversation away from his own incompetence.

"You said something about a curfew… what's that about? And why did you suddenly help me like this?"

"Once the sun slips past the horizon and night begins, an illusionary barrier is erected within the forest, surrounding the whole perimeter. Unlike most of our illusions which are mere tricks of the eye and ears, this is both a proper physical and magical barrier. Once erected, no living thing may enter or exit the forest. This way the Zoroark villages do not have to worry about being invaded at night." Zoroark paused to scrape something off his footpaw in disgust before proceeding the take Zane along.

"But unfortunately thanks to those naughty Zorua, sometimes humans become trapped here during the night. We Zoroark rule the majority of the forest, but there are still Pokémon scum who would happily prey on a defenceless human. Zoroark are a peaceful species and human are not our enemies; thus we cannot allow one to become threated while within our territory. Therefore, any guards or scouts that find a human within the forest after the curfew has begun will take it back to their village, where the human will be kept safe for the night."

Zane was stunned. Up until this moment Pokémon, to him, had been nothing more than stupid creatures that did their master's bidding. The fact that a species could have such an organized routine similar to his own challenged everything he had thought about Pokémon, and quite frankly it unnerved him.

"So that's why you…"

"Indeed. It was too late to return you to the fringe of the forest by the time I intervened, so I had no choice to do what I am doing right now. I am also terribly sorry for hurting you like that straight away. But I had to make sure that you didn't have any Pokémon or weapons on you before returning to our homelands. There _have _been incidents where humans have gotten lost on purpose, only so they can be brought back to our homes to try and capture us for whatever cruel reason they had in mind. Due to their wicked intentions we have no choice but to ensure that every human we rescue is harmless beforehand."

Even though he had done nothing wrong Zane still felt terrible. For all this time he had regarded Zoroark as a threat, something that would eventually cost him his life. Not only was he the one _saving _Zane, but he had also considered Zane to be the real threat! He wondered if every wild Pokémon felt the same way as Zoroark.

Almost in an instant an orange light appeared up ahead in the distance, as though it had come from nowhere. Since every other direction was pitch black it was the only thing that was noticeable. Zoroark began to pick up the pace and in response the light drew closer and brighter with each step. Finally they were just a few metres away from the source of the light and it was now bright enough to see Zoroark's face again. Up ahead Zane could see some sort of tall wooden fencing blocking off whatever was on the other side. From what Zane could see it was made of dead and dry branches all tied together with vines. Within the fence was just one archway, the source of the very bright light was flickering from through there. But before moving any closer Zoroark stopped and looked the human boy straight in the eye.

"Just beyond this fence lies my home village. I can assure you now that no one will intend you any harm and you will be treated as one of our own for your whole time here. But please don't be surprised if everyone stares at you or makes a fuss, our particular village is not used to human presence and we haven't had a human here in at least a century. Now, come."

Zoroark indicated for him to follow, but Zane remained where he was and pulled Zoroark back towards him. Now it was his turn to look the confused Zoroark in the eye.

"Um… Zoroark… I want to say thanks for rescuing me and everything… I think I'd be dead otherwise… You're a really sweet guy…" In an instant Zoroark twisted his head around to face the other way, as though Zane had just slapped him across the maw. For a moment Zoroark stayed that way, awkwardly twisted away from the startled boy, before shyly turning back. To Zane's confusion and amazement Zoroark was blushing, quite severely too.

"It… is not something that requires gratitude… it is merely a part of my-" Zane thoughtlessly reached out and grabbed Zoroark's' other paw and interlocked his fingers with his own; causing Zoroark to jump at the sudden intimate gesture.

"No, I really mean it Zoroark. All my life no one has ever shown interest or even payed attention to my existence at all, so the fact that you've worked so hard just for my sake… it makes me so happy." Upon hearing those words Zoroark sighed shakily and stood back with a clumsy little half-step. For his entire time with the human Zoroark had stared straight into his eyes whenever they had been talking, but now he found himself unable to hold his gaze for ever a second, his eyes instead flitting about nervously as they tried to avoid the human' enticing gaze.

Zane himself was slightly confused. He was aware that his sudden gesture of gratitude was a spur-of-the-moment thing, but he did not expect such a gregarious response from the normally placid Zoroark. In just seconds he had gone from a serious and competent village guard to a shy and bashful boy. Why did that one sentence invoke such an emotional reaction from an otherwise sombre Pokémon? For just a few moments both of them stood there in the dim light while Zoroark shuffled timidly, thinking of something to say. Realising they both still had their hands interlocked, he broke the contact before scurrying over to the archway, speaking just once sentence before disappearing through it.

"P-Please come."

With the surprise of Zoroark's coy reaction wearing off, Zane took one deep sigh before following him through the archway.


	2. Retreat

**Chapter 2**

**Retreat**

What Zane found behind that archway blew his mind. He had heard Zoroark mention the word 'village' multiple times, but regardless his expectations had been pretty low. He was expecting to see a handful of dirty, tired Zoroark hunched around a fire, living in primitive conditions similar to cavemen. They were just Pokémon after all, how civil could wild Pokémon be anyway?

Apparently, very civil.

At first Zane couldn't see anything at all, as his eyes were still trying to adjust to the sudden bright light of the village after being in the pitch black forest for so long. But steadily things shifted into focus as his eyes adjusted and what he saw made him stumble in surprise. From the looks of it, the village was in a circular shape, centred around a massive fire pit. The pit itself had a thick support of rock walls to keep the searing fire inside from igniting the village, and on the top sat a grid of what seemed like iron grating. At various points around the pit sets of crude stairs led up to the top, where a group of Zoroark were gently raising pieces of an unidentifiable roasted meat onto the glowing red cooking grills. Zane shuddered to think what that strange meat could possibly be. In between the sets of stairs were long wooden tables littered with copious amounts of food, and wooden bowls and plates.

All around the perimeter of the pit was a thick wooden walkway, littered with wooden stools, chairs, and other seating items. From their crude design most of the items seemed to have been hand-crafted by the Zoroark, but among them sat human-made items, redesigned for different purposes. On the other side of the pit one massive Zoroark was sitting on a bicycle seat that had been tied to a tree stump. He seemed to have no trouble balancing his huge frame on the tiny seat as he patted his friend on the back, guwaffing loudly.

On the perimeter of that main walkway stood many wooden buildings built between the massive tree trunks. Some were only small shacks or storehouses, and some looked large enough to be medium sized houses. All of them had the same curious archways for entrances, coupled with small holes cut out either side for windows. All along their face and on the inside Zane could see multitudes of crafted items and human knick knacks. But what caught his curiosity was the fact that they were all well lit, as though they had functioning light bulbs inside. But surely the Zoroark couldn't have a power supply!

Here, there and everywhere Zoroark scurried, walked, stood or worked busily. Zane had been expecting only a few Zoroark, but here he could see at least forty of them without even counting. There was obviously more than that, as one tired looking Zoroark hastily shooed a whole gaggle of Zorua out of a small windowless shack. There we so many of them grunting, growling, roaring and laughing that Zane couldn't hear his own footsteps as he timidly trudged ahead. He was fairly certain that he could hear some human voices in the cacophony, but whether they were real humans or Zoroark speaking in human he was not sure. At any rate he couldn't spot another human anywhere.

By now most of the Zoroark and Zorua had shifted to the fire pit, patiently holding wooden plates in paw. It seemed that Zane and his particular Zoroark had just shown up in time for dinner, or whatever meal the Zoroark called this. Zoroark himself had moved further up ahead closer to where the other Zoroark were, before disappearing into the crowd completely. For a panicking moment Zane suspected that Zoroark was abandoning him for his previous affectionate remark. What was he going to do now? He was too nervous to go any further, but he felt vulnerable just standing there awkwardly by the entrance. What if some Zoroark got mad at him for blocking the doorway and threw him onto the fire?

For a second moment Zane contemplated running back though the archway and taking his chances with the dark forest. Zoroark himself has said that they dominated this area of the forest and no other creatures would be able to hurt him, but what if this was all a trap? Now that he thought about it, the idea of a magical boundary sealing him in the forest was rather far-fetched, and it seemed rather suspicious that Zoroark had led him all this way into the deepest part of the forest, right around meal time… Dammit! How could he have fallen for this? He had the dream of being Unova's greatest Pokémon professor, yet he had been stupid enough to allow wild Pokémon to lead him to be their mealtime!

Without pausing for another moment Zane bolted back through the archway and sprinted for his life, madly forcing his tired body to move at a pace it was not eager to perform at. The light from the village quickly disappeared ashe once again felt himself in the choking darkness, but this time it felt comforting; like a formless shield protecting him from the sharp Zoroark eyes inevitably following him. Even though he could not see a thing he continued to plough ahead, the noise of dead leaves crunching underneath his feet sounded like savage instruments announcing his early demise as they gave away his position. Behind him he could hear load cries and roars echo out from the village he was fleeting from, the aggressive sound awakening the primal instincts that lurked in every creature when it was being hunted. He was getting the hell out of here. Now.

He cried out in alarm as his foot smacked into some hard object on the forest floor, causing him to stumble forward and land face forward on the earthy ground. The desperate human boy screeched in pain as his arm scraped across a sharp rock, already he could feel his crimson life-force dripping out of the gash as he latched onto a tree and clawed his way to his feet. As he got up his bag slipped off his shoulder and fell away into the darkness, but it was of no concern to him; he was already sprinting further into the void. He could feel his blood running down his arm and dripping little droplets behind him, leaving just another trail for his predators to follow.

Under the sound of his own gasping breath he could hear the swift rustle of leaves, evidently something was pursuing through the treetops. The chase was on.

Before he could take another step something dropped down from the forest roof above and landed heavily onto him, causing him to fall down to the ground again. For just a split second Zane was granted the opportunity to roll onto his back and face his opponent, but immediately after that his attacker pressed down on his body preventing him from moving another inch. Even though he couldn't see his opponent he swiped crazily, his closed fists striking against a furry face. His attacker didn't even budge in the slightest at the repeated hits and soon had Zane's arms pinned against the ground.

"GAH! Get off me! I'll kill you! I'll kill you you bastard! Die! Die!" Zane screamed wildly; fully aware that his shrieking voice would not be intimidating at all to his foe. At first the attacker simply sat there, was it surprised by his retaliation? Or was it just considering how to devour him?

To his surprise the foe moved off of him and hauled him into the air. Even though he began swinging his fists madly again, they didn't come into contact with anything but air.

"In Arceus' name, what are you doing human! Why did you run off like that?" A familiar voice called out to him. The claw holding him up let go, allowing him to fall back onto his ass.

"Piss off! Go die! I won't let you kill me!" He wailed back, trying his best to get to his exhausted feet. But his disgruntled body failed him, causing him to stumble back down again.

"Kill you? I don't- Look, is this about how I walked away from you? I'm sorry, but I was just so stunned from what you said… I didn't know how to react…"

"Shut up! You brought me back to your village just so you could throw me onto that fire, didn't you! I won't be cooked by Zoroark, I can tell you that now!" The human yelled back, still edging away.

"What did I tell you-" Zoroark paused midsentence before lashing out and holding Zane as tightly to his own body as he could. Zane would've screamed in fear, if he didn't have a tuft of Zoroark's thigh fur in his mouth. Even if this frantic moment, he couldn't help but admit that Zoroark's soft fur felt nice, even if it was in his mouth. In this sudden silence, Zane could hear other shuffling noises all around them, timidly approaching them from every direction. The movement was incredibly subtle, but there was no denying that something else was there with them.

"Begone, you monsters! This human is under Zoroark protection, and you should know better than to come so close to our villages!" Zoroark roared furiously out into the area. There was a moment of silence, as though some cognitive process was occurring in the darkness, before the shuffling started up again. This time it seemed to be moving away from them.

"Moonguss… Amoonguss… guss, guss, moonguss…" The mysteriously invaders whispered to each other, before becoming inaudible completely.

"Oh, thank Arceus' name on high. If those Amoonguss had beaten me to you, you would be a dried-up skeleton by now." Zoroark let out a sigh, obviously of relief, as he let go of the startled boy. As Zane leant back and spat Zoroark's fur out of his mouth, he too let out a sigh of relief, realising just how close he had come to death.

"We Zoroark are diplomatic creatures, and resolve all issues and decisions fairly. We are not forcing you to come to our village, so you are free to return to… that." Zoroark paused to indicate towards the retreating Amoonguss, forgetting that Zane couldn't see at all.

"But as promised, you can come to our village and be safe for the night. I've already told you, and I'll say it again, Zoroark do _not _hurt human beings unless they attack us first. The only reason I chased you just now was because I knew you'd die. I don't want you to die; I want you to be safe!" Zoroark pleaded gently. Up until now his voice had been stern, but now it had softened and returned to soft and ever so slightly girly voice he had used before.

Zane felt a pang of guilt twitch in his heart hearing those words. He still didn't trust Zoroark entirely, but up until now Zoroark hadn't hurt him in the slightest, and had now saved his life from a probably grizzly death. Besides his own paranoia he had no reason to accuse Zoroark of treachery. Just what kind of idiotic creature did Zoroark see him as now? He felt frustrated; he had been forced into a situation in which he could not flee. It was either run the risk of dying in the forest, or run the risk of being devoured by Zoroark. Neither of those sounded appealing. But to be honest, he secretly wished that Zoroark was a friend. He had been nice so far, considerably nicer than any other human had treated him… Just for now, he would have to brace himself and return to the village, and just pray he didn't become the next thing to fit into Zoroark's stomach.

"Um… I'll come back with you… I guess I'm sorry for causing so much trouble…" With that the boy tried getting back to his feet, but fell down for the fourth time. A savage burning sensation in his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten since this morning, a deep rumbling sound echoed from his stomach to agree with him.

"I see. You are exhausted, starving, blinded and…" Zoroark paused to sniff Zane's arm, recoiling as his sensitive nose smelt the stench of blood. "You are injured also! I will carry you back to the village straight away!" Without another word Zoroark gently lifted the boy into his arms and cradled him like a baby. Despite appearing to be skinny, even by a human's standard, Zoroark was amazed to feel how plump and supple the human felt in his paws. He was almost tempted to squeeze it…

"Zoroark?"

"Yes, human?"

"Please stop squeezing my butt."

In a flash Zoroark fumbled awkwardly with the human in his arms as he attempted to shift him into a less… uncomfortable position. To Zoroark's disclosure the human remained placid throughout this whole endeavour, but that was likely due to the poor thing's exhaustion. It _had _run quite a considerable distance from the village in such a short period of time.

As he began walking back to his home village he tried his best not to knock around the human resting in his arms. Considering that it had been flailing wildly at him just a minute ago, this sudden placidity was ever so slightly disconcerting. He grunted as he struggled to hold the human's weight as the boy shifted his position in his arms. He was now on his back, looking up towards Zoroark's face. If they were in lighter conditions Zoroark would have wondered why the human was staring at him, but he remembered that the human couldn't see in this darkness like Zoroark could; and he was probably staring off into space. He _did _have a rather unfocused gaze.

He knew he should have been watching the path ahead of them, but he couldn't help but stare back into the boy's eyes. They were a soft warm brown colour, reminiscent of that melted chocolate he once found on patrol. They contrasted starkly against his yellowish, slightly golden hair, but it was a good contrast. It made the human's face feel more… alive. That was the thing about human faces, they were so unique and interesting. He could easily tell the difference between all of his fellow Zoroark simply by looking at the patterns of their markings, shape of their body and their unique scent, but humans were so astoundingly different from each other that sometimes they seemed like different subspecies altogether.

"Hey… Zoroark?" Zoroark jumped at the human's sudden words and snapped his attention back to the path ahead, pretending as though he had not been staring into the human's eyes for the last five minutes.

"Yes?"

"Do you have a name?" The human enquired. The boy scratched his nose and rubbed his eye before letting it slide back to his side. The human's arm felt so weak and fragile against Zoroark's own arm, yet it felt peculiarly pleasant, as though that weak form belied some degree of appeal.

"Of course I have a name." Zoroark replied, wondering how the human could not have figured that out yet.

"What is it then?"

"Zoroark."

"No, not that name! That's your species name! Don't you have anything other name people associate with you?" The human replied with the slightest hint of irritation.

Oh, that's right. Humans all had individual names, didn't they? What a strange concept, Zoroark mused to himself.

"No. Zoroark culture is focused on being one big uniform unit, rather than a group of individuals. Therefore, we do not have individual names. The only form of identification we have is our rank names." It may have been a infinitesimal twitch, but the human seemed to reel back in surprise at this revelation. Did humans always get worked up at such insignificant details?

"Wh-Wha? That's so sad! Is Zoroark society some sort of communism or something? What _does _every call you?" The human wrinkled his nose, desperately trying not to sneeze as some hidden particle invaded his nose.

"Communism? I know not the meaning of that word. But my rank is Scout, and that is the closest thing to an identity I have." Zoroark uttered, hoping that the human wasn't about to coat him in its nasal lining.

"Scout, huh. Can I call you that? I feel… sorry for you knowing that you don't have a special name to have on your own…" As innocent as they were, those words made something in Zoroark's heart quiver slightly. Why was this human, a creature who suspected him of murder several minutes ago, now showing sympathy towards him over something that was so insignificant? Humans really were unpredictable creatures.

"Yes you may, and don't feel sorry. It is of no concern to me." As he said that, the light of the village entrance came into view as they circled around a thick trunk. The light was dim, but to the human's weak eyes the unexpected brightness made him squint as he once again tried to focus his eyes.

"Thank you very much for saving me, Scout. For a second time too. I guess it was really bad of me to be such a pain like this." Zoroark was not fully adept at reading patterns in the vocalizations of humans, but he was sure he could hear a trace of guilt. It was evident that this human was regretting his decision to flee.

As he passed through the archway and entered the village Zoroark gazed down into the humans' eyes, and was shocked to see him staring back into his. There was the slightest blush crossing his smooth facial skin, trigging a flood of blood to flow to Zoroark's own face. He was grateful that his fur would prevent his blush from being as obvious as the human's. Dammit, now his throat was tightening up and he was struggling to think of what to say to this confusing human. The first time they went through this door the human professed it's gratitude to him, and then it ran out thinking he was going to kill it, and now he was bringing it back again with even more gratitude ringing in its heart. Why did humans have to have such frivolous emotions?

"I- It is fine. It is my job to rescue humans, so I bear you no grudge." Good, he had managed to respond this time. He wished the human would stop making him feel this strange sensation in his heart, it was something he'd never felt before and it unsettled him.

By the time they had returned, the evening meal had finished and things had become more peaceful around the village. Everyone was sitting in their usual places resting idly after the big meal. But as Scout and his human walked along the path, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared intently.

Zane couldn't help but notice it as well, and he subconsciously placed his hand on Scout's paw and gripped it tightly. Everywhere multitudes of eyes were observing him from every angle and he couldn't tell what they were thinking. The Zoroark which had been taking food off of the cooking grills now sat on the stairs, watching as they picked food out of their glinting teeth. The bulky one who was sitting on the tiny bicycle seat was now hunched forward, clasping his paws as he watched them go past. Far at the back two evidently elderly Zoroark and their troop of followers calmly watched from the distance, their sets of beady eyes making Zane shiver uncomfortably. Around a doorway a cluster of young Zorua peeped at him while their caretaker quietly hushed them back into the building they came from. Scout must have sensed his onset of fear, as he gripped him tighter against his chest.

Zane tried his best to ignore the unwanted attention as the two of them hurriedly moved through the centre of the village. He trusted Scout now, but these other ones were still suspicious to say the least. With care Zoroark carried him into a small building which smelt strangely familiar to his old science lab at high school. The entrance had a small porch separating it from the walkway with a shelter hanging above. Flowerpots and nets filled with onions and herbs dangled by the roof on string, swinging softly as the human and Pokémon passed underneath. Broken electronics, old magazines and other bits of crap sat around the doorway like a shrine offering to whoever lived inside. Where the hell was he being taken?

The room inside was made of log wood as he expected, but to his surprise this room was fully furnished, with most of the furniture being of human origin and relatively clean and fresh. In the right corner opposite the door sat a tall hospital bed complete with mostly white linen. A metal table containing several racks stood to its side, filled with all sorts of metal medical instruments. Syringes, needles, mirrors and all sorts of things glittered in the light. Sitting at the base of the table was his backpack, much to his amazement. How on earth had it made its way back to here?

The left of the room looked like something straight out of a hospital drama show. Two of the walls had large white benches attached with all sorts of little items scattered around them. A broken soap dispenser sat uselessly in the middle. There was the occasional sink built into the benches, but where the water taps should be were nothing but giant holes. On the wall at the back were three vastly different bookcases nailed together, with an array of medicines, bandages, tonics and herbs all sitting on the various shelves. To Zane's surprise a single light bulb dangled from the roof, working just the way a light bulb should work. Did these wild Pokémon really have a power supply?! From all this alone, Zane had the right to assume this was a medical bay, or doctor's room at least. If all this stuff was here for something _other _than healing him, then he was screwed.

Zoroark delicately lay Zane on the bed and fluffed up the pillow before turning away, but to his surprise the human grabbed his paw and pulled him back.

"Hey, where are you going, Scout?" Zane asked, alarm ringing clearly in his voice.

"I'm going to tell Healer to come tend to your wound, and then I'll go get you some food. You don't mind eating Bouffalant meat, carrots and Aspear sauce, do you?" As much as he was warming up to this particular human boy, Scout would have been rather cross if it was fussy when it came to food. Humans tended to take unnecessary delicacy when eating their meals, from what he'd heard.

"Oh, yes. I eat those kinds of things all the time… But you'll come back right?" Zane enquired again, this time with more concern.

Acting as though he were possessed, Scout leant over the human's face until their eyes were inches away from each other. He could feel the boy's hot breath on his face, and inevitably he was sure his own hot breath would be covering the human.

"Yes, of course I will return to you…" Zoroark whispered softly into his ear. He placed his paw on the shocked human's chest and for a moment both of them stayed there, locked into that stare. In an instant Scout came back to his senses and stumbled away in shock. What in Arceus' name just came over him? Why had be suddenly been compelled to behave in such an unacceptable way… Was it that strange feeling in his heart that compelled him to act so compulsively? Or was the human casting some enchant on him with those sweet, brown eyes? Nevertheless the boy was staring at him in equal shock, making his face run red again. With an embarrassed sigh the Zoroark bolted for the door, but a cry from the human made him pause and look over his shoulder in confusion.

"Um… My name's Zane. Pleased to meet you, Scout." The boy said meekly, biting his lip as he tried to avoid locking eyes with the equally flustered Pokémon.

"N-Nice to meet you, Zane." Scout uttered coyly before he ran out the door, leaving the stunned human behind.

Warily Zane slumped his head on the pillow and stared at the blank roof above. He was certain this was the most messed up day of his life.

A most messed up day indeed.

* * *

**A/N: I like the name Scout, but I'm starting to regret choosing it. Everytime I type his name the words 'need a dispenser here!' echo in my mind. It's distracting to be honest.**

**One another note, please critique! If there was something you enjoyed about the story, please point it out. And if there was something that had a negative impact on the story for you please say what it is and clarify. That way I can improve as much as I can. **

**Honestly, this chapter took a sudden unexpected turn and didn't stop. In other words, this chapter's content popped up out of nowhere. Zane wasn't supposed to run away, but that's how things suddenly turned out. How odd. **


End file.
